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gifts

I love the work of Sanna Annukka. I also grew up loving Marimekko before i even knew what it was (i have the very beat up kids stuff to prove it somewhere). And when Sanna Annukka designed an animal themed print for Marimekko... yes, i pretty much got super excited. And then today... while exploring the meatpacking districts design week happenings and wandering into the Playful New Finnish Design Shipping Container (regulars will already know my fascination with shipping containers for anything other than shipping)... and then getting to see the Sanna Annukka's Marimekko Kaneleen kutsu pattern in person... and being handed a press kit IN A BLACK AND WHITE TOTE OF THE FABRIC... yea. I was pretty much on cloud 9. I'm totally making that tote into a throw pillow. A throw pillow with handles. That can be hung on the wall when not in use?

BUT back to the point at hand ~ Sanna Annukka's Marimekko Kaneleen kutsu pattern is stunning ~ and i'm so thrilled to have access to the press photos to get to see all the products and patterns up close! And to share them with you! (as well as photos of the totes that the lady was kind enough to let me photograph and pick through in the shipping container) But also, the story behind this pattern is quite lovely as well...

So here's the story from the press release:Sanna Annukka has created for Marimekko a series of expressive designs full of meaning, telling stories from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. The Kanteleen kutsu fabric depicts forest animals that have, enchanted, gathered to hear the joyful tunes played on the kantele, a plucked string instrument, by Väinämöinen, the main character of the Kalevala. Väinämöinen, a shamanistic hero, had made his instrument from the jawbone of a giant pike. Mugs, tea towels and other ready-made products feature individual animals ñ birds, squirrels, bears ñ picked from the Kanteleen kutsu fabric. The Sampo, a wealth grinding magic mill with a multi-coloured lid, is featured in the impressive Taikamylly fabric and matching cushion covers, plates and trays. The Ihmemaa art print, sold by the repeat, shows the landscape of Kaleva, the Land of Heroes, and Lake Alue. In the depths of the lake, a whitefish has swallowed fire fallen from the heavens. The series also includes the Onnen helmet duvet cover design, which tells of how Väinämöinen, moved as he played the kantele, cried big tears that flowed into the sea and there changed into pearls.

The Bd Barcelona Tout va bien ~ a collection by Antoine + Manuel. While wandering ICFF, i was immediately drawn over to e Bd Barcelona for the Jamie Hayon Showtime chairs in new colors... and then mesmerized by this new cabinet! Being human, its near impossible to not attempt to make a story out of random snippets ~ personally i initially assumed it would be some crazy myth or fairy tale... but the woman at the booth informed me it was far more fantasy and artsy and no real meaning... but fascinating details none the less...

Bd Barcelona describes it as: "Rarely does a graphic designer (two, in this case) go into the field of furniture design. We have to go far back in time to find them, to the times of the high and low reliefs. This is exactly what Antoine Audiau and Manuel Warosz have done, a couple of extraordinary Parisian graphic artists who sign their works as Antoine+Manuel. The cabinet they have designed for this new collection brought out by Bd Barcelona design is a surprising mixture of applied arts, hieroglyphic language, contemporary graphics, fantasy and optimism. It is produced with the quality of yesteryear but using today's technologies in two versions, Basic and Top, distinguished by the shape of the top and because the more exclusive option also offers the possibility of choosing the colour in accordance to the RAL colour referentes."

Stand out at ICFF that i walked away still lusting after? Shimna! Based right here in NY, their tag line is "avoid the aesthetic of the moment" ~ and it just about sums it up perfectly. It's like rustic meets modern ~ but not rustic modern. Soft and cozy meet hard and rough ~ but not hard and cozy. Outdoorsy meets urban chic? The only descriptions i can give you sound ridiculously juxtaposed ~ but they have struck a beautiful balance in their juxtapositions that i'm in love with. I can see their pieces in my rustic modern loft... or my modern ranch/cabin in the woods...

OH, and i didn't even get to talking about the 80$ ebay stuffed rabbit they placed on the bright red couch yet. Details like that really draw everyone into a booth... even adorably mesmerized babies (see pic on next page to make sense of this!). Also the bed, those drawers are slanted! So from afar, you wouldn't even guess there are 4 large drawers of goodies hidden beneath ~ it just has sleek lines underneath... and then next to your head there are drawers for your glasses and jewelry... but not for your partner/lovers. They even have gorgeous updated variations on what felt like a trunk that evolved into a seat/coffee table that still opens up to provide tons of storage space... and apparently coyotes went from near extinction to overpopulation ~ so they are doing their part by using some of the special culled coyote skins on their cozy chair... and the couch is incredibly comfy/cozy and mounted on gorgeous woodiness... anyhow, see the juxtaposition of press and real world photos on the next page!

I'm extra giddy about this one ~ my old grad school friends from the Domus/Milan days ~ Jenny Lemieux and Leo Corrales ~ you may remember them as Toronto based Hero Design Lab which did the playful NotConcept series with NOTCOT a while back... have their first series of products Hero 365 showing at ICFF 09!!! Their first two products are the RC-1 Rain Collector and the DR-1 Clothes Dryer. With these "Extraordinary resource saving objects for everyday life" ~ they have taken simple ways to save energy and water, revamped some traditional concept, and made them beautifully functional. Take a look at more pics of these pieces on the next page!

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And on living vicariously ~ having never had a booth of my own, it's been so fun to share in their excitement watching people react to their products after seeing sketches and the progress on these pieces over the last few months ~ hearing their stories of the drive to NY from Toronto with their booth components ~ and seeing how beautifully it all came together! Also ~ because of them, i got to meet Dan Funderburgh!!! (He stopped by and was chatting with them about the product while i was there! And i got all excited!)

Have you ever found yourself mesmerized by a curvature? A silhouette? Just stuck in your mind, and you could stare at it for ages? And it doesn't help that as you stare at it you can't help but sip it as well? Well there's something so beautiful about the Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label and La Grande Dame champagne glasses that i've been obsessing about since that trip to paris with them last year... It actually had me paying much closer to attention to both champagne and champagne glasses, since. You'll see what i mean in the many pictures on the next page... there's a comparison of some of the various champagne glasses rounded up from holiday gift boxes...

... also further indulging my curiosity about the origins of Champagne Glasses, the Veuve Clicquot historian was kind enough to put together some information on their background as well as some gorgeous visuals - from vintage Veuve ads ~ to scans from their library to take a look at what types of champagne glass styles exist and how they have evolved over the years.

On random late night posting ~ while doing the usual wandering through Whole Foods ~ on packaging based shopping, i gave in to some awesomely packaged beers. Really, how fun does the box and label of that Lobotomy Bock look? And take a peek at pics of that as well as some other fun beers and their adorable bottle caps too. (Slightly disappointing that Lobotomy Bock didn't have a crazy bottle cap... its just solid red) ~ see all the pics on the next page!

For those following my tweets ~ these are the pics that i was getting those funny looks from neighbors and passing cars over... but to be fair i was crouched in the grass in the front yard shooting a cardboard rhino? But still! Anyhow ~ impressive to see how perfectly cut these are ~ take a peek at how organized (tabbed!) the pieces arrive... fun detail shots and many more crazy rhino shots on the next page.

I couldn't help myself. Ami and the Cool Hunting kids clearly had tons of fun with Kidlandia ~ and i had to try it too! Sure it's for little kids ~ but its like mad libs for a playful crazy MAP! Anyhow, check out NOTland ~ and close ups on the next page! According to CH - "Kidlandia, a website that lets you create personalized fantasy maps for kids, evolved from illustrator, entrepreneur and former Disney producer Brian Backus' intricate, personalized maps that he started making a few years ago."

This beautiful Kuhn Rikon Mortar & Pestle showed up amidst the kitchen construction ~ and it is STUNNING! Also, swiss made, designed by Swiss Designer/Chef Philipp Beyeler, multipurpose and made of porcelain and bamboo! Not only does the porcelain bowl (for grinding) fit beautifully into the bamboo base (for crushing nuts and harder foods) ~ but i'm just such a sucker for porcelain/woody-bamboo combinations! And on brilliant details... the tear drop shaped hole in the handle isn't merely for aesthetic purposes, it also doubles as a tool for "defoliating stems".

Where bad letters go when they die? Ok so they aren't bad ~ but the awesome photography of finnish company, Characters, certainly makes it seem like these are the ones that fell off Sesame Street's letters of the day... only to end up drunk and in an alley all alone? Basically these are recycled - "saved" letters - orphaned when old signage is neglected or discarded... when i saw these over at designboom, i couldn't resist seeing if they had NOTCOT available ~ and then debating whether to get some... it'd look pretty crazy to have your own ex-neon sign graveyard... mis matched reincarnated letters all LED'd out?

So what happens? "When company signs and logos are taken down, they get demolished. We recycle the characters into individual design objects. We dismantle the letters, clean them up, add a new transformer, LED lights and the power cord, and put them back together." See some of the stunning photography on the next page!

Freshly landed in my mailbox, the fanciest wrapped newspaper yet ~ The Arkitip Intel Newspaper Supplement, Volume No. 1 ~ it came preciously sealed in plastic in a stiff mailer ~ i felt like i should save it forever and not open it, but curiousity got the best of me... again. So what is this mysterious newspaper? Here's how the folks at Arkitip describe it:

"What better time than the present to publish our first newspaper. Going against the grain has never stopped us before and no matter what might be happening with news media and publishing in general, we will always continue to work on and publish projects that interest us.

Over the years, The Arkitip Intel has evolved into an online publication that brings together the most unique voices in the world of art, fashion, music, design, and retail. Now we're taking The Intel into the tactile realm.

The Arkitip Intel Newspaper Supplement will feature all twenty of our reporters expanding their online musings to the printed page. Four colors on 22 x 11 In. broadsheet newsprint, packaged in re-sealable bag."

It's pretty awesome ~ i love the smell/feel of newsprint ~ there's just something fun about flipping through the paper! So are you ready to take a peek inside? And i just love that Ace Hotels ad up there ~ tempted to frame it for constant typographic reassurance... See pics of the un-wrapping and flipping on the next page!

Coming in June from IWG Sleepy Bear Series. WITH SPORK!!! "They love eating with a spork; its a very handy eating utensil. This new IWG Series includes a sleeping bear, spork, combat knife, and a human skull trophy. Price to TBA." See more pics of these new guys on the next page...

Children's books inspiring art? "Beyond the Pages" at Gallery 1988 SF that opens tonight is STUNNING ~ this post would be up sooner if i wasn't so busy deciding and buying a few of the pieces first ~ then looking up book covers and reliving my love of Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, and more to help pull some of your nostalgic heart strings too. I'm sure so much of my art tastes were influenced by those book covers of my childhood. And yes, even today, i'm still prone to impulse buying books for great covers (there are some i've purchased in other countries and read possibly because the cover made them that much more enticing to me)...

ALSO noteworthy? While they never charge admission ~ "we are asking each gallery visitor to bring one new children's book, which will be donated to the San Francisco Unified School District. The gallery will also make an additional donation on behalf of the show." What a nice gesture! So ~ take a look at some of my favorites of the MANY pieces, and some of the sources of their inspiration alongside on the next page!

OMG, tactical flashlight that will supposedly out live it's owners... just arrived today ~ meet the 511 Tactical Light For Life - charges in 90 seconds... uses 3 LEDs and is super bright with 3 modes (including "a 270 lumen tactical strobe used to instantly illuminate objects in a dark space, signal others or disorient a perpetrator, giving you valuable time to assess a situation")... and uses "FlashPoint that merges state of the art ultracapacitors with advanced solid state programming to efficiently load, unload, and manage energy." - in otherwords it recharges in 90 seconds in the car charger (a/c adapter coming soon) and then outputs "60 minutes in standard mode (90 lumens) and gradually reduce intensity to the 25 lumen standby mode for an additional 60 minutes." or "a full 15 minutes of the 270 lumen peak mode, followed by 60 minutes of 25 lumen standby light."

Also ~ how eco-friendly is it? Well if its the only flashlight you'll ever need (as in it will supposedly last more recharge cycles than you can pull off in a lifetime), uses LEDs, has no batteries... and just imagine hooking it up to a solar charger? Details wise, it's pretty sleek, ans super light weight, and incredibly bright! To fully appreciate it, check out the VIDEO i made to show you the modes on the next page ~ as well as lots of close up shots and unboxing!

On surprise packages ~ fresh from Spain ~ just got an adorable surprise from one of my favorite super awesome artists, Catalina Estrada! She sent over a little notepad ~ and one of her new Grenade shirts! (she has a store filled with tees and prints and pillows!!!) ~ detail i never noticed in the pics before ~ her's like the NOTCOT girl have that one droplet of blood coming down her forehead... and i'm loving the geometric shapes and grenades... Anyhow, quick post before i run off again ~ see more pics on the next page!!! ...and THANK YOU, Cati! I don't know how you guessed, but it's a perfect fit too!

My morning excitement was ordering one of the limited edition Moebots prints (seen above) - a collab between Moedigliani and Angry Woebots! Drawn in by the combination of the usual awesome angry pandas as they sneak up on that unsuspecting Moedigliani frog...

Anyhow, all this lead me to discover and explore the awesome works of Moedigliani ~ aka Moedigs aka Mr. Digglesworth III aka Maurice Radke - Graphic designer, illustrator, artist, and web designer ~ from Honolulu, currently living in Los Angeles. Check out his blog here. See some more of my favorites of his work on the next page!

It's not often shower head innovations catch my eye recently ~ but the latest Flipside from Kohler is definitely an interesting shift from the "Handshowers" (ok, i had no idea that was a term till i was reading the press release, but thinking about it, i dont know what i'd normally call it?) where you normally turn the ring on the showerhead to switch between different settings... and the water always comes from the same sprayface. In the case of the Flipside, there are 4 different sprayfaces, and each mode has a K name (Kohler does love their Ks):
• KOVERAGE - for a traditional, everyday shower with maximum water coverage that is perfect for the morning shower routine (green)
• KOTTON - streams a layer of dense, soft, enveloping downpour of relaxation that caresses your skin (yellow)
• KOMOTION - a drenching spray that delivers an exhilarating, circular pattern to refresh the senses after a tightly-wound day (pink)
• KURRENT - provides a focused and invigorating massage spray to target tired or aching muscles (blue)

Goodmorning Technology in Copenhagen just sent over this cute concept ~ Handelbar Basket! From the press release:

"The bike porter is made of tubes and is as easy to put on your bike as a normal handlebar. We have developed a whole range in many colors and with integrated designed bags if you wish! The patent is filled out the and all intellectual property belongs to Goodmorning Technology. The bike porter is perfect for fixies and other street bikes. The basket will from now one never be stolen, fasten destroyed and the designed bags are easy to fill up in the shops and take along. You can also use your own bag, laptop or whatever you need! We have showed it before with the New York City bike, but this is first time as a single product without the bike, and we are very proud to present it to you!"

Awesome idea ~ although how is it carrying it around? See more pics on the next page!

I love the fractal nature of succulents. And continuing from yesterday's post... while the plumber was working on the kitchen (Kohler goodies nearly installed), i ended up getting some cactus soil (and juice) and a few more succulents ~ and my mom donated some of her overgrown succulents that were spewing out of their pots to break up ~ soooooo, more fun pics of some inspiring patterns and colors! How crazy does that gummy one look? See more pics on the next page...

UPDATED!!!! Just add more at the bottom of this post since i just ran out to the japanese nurseries to see what i could find... (jump directly to the new pics here)

So many puns. Must resist the puns. Let's just say its been a sucky day and leave it at that? Soooooo anyhow, on friday inspirations/distractions/obsessions... finally made it over to Rolling Greens Nursery in culver city, and it is TRULY mind blowing. So much beautiful stuff ~ not to mention the layout of the 4 tiered huge sections set into this pretty steep hillside ~ and the big sale (50% 1000$ pots and such)... i was like a kid in a candy store, oooohing and ahhhhhing over all the incredible plants, and then gave in and bought a bunch of succulents that i couldn't take my eyes off of... and before i planted them (slowly working on the back yard now) took a bunch of pics. The details are just so fascinating!!! Also found a really cool flower you'll see at the end of the pics on the next page as well...

It's hard to squish a robot and write a post all at once. On awesome packages, Diesel Sweeties sent over this big box and out popped a SQUISHABLE Crocheted Robot (yes its a little obese an a little disproportionate, perhaps more like a baby-bot? not quite full grown to CRUSH HUMANS! yet?) ~ and his Crush All Humans! Book.... complete with a signed/illustrated CRUSH JEAN! page with tiny red markerbots flying around!

More Jawbones ~ already! And i've barely used my other ones (they live in my car ~ i tend to use speakerphone as my handsfree when driving alone...) I must say the starburst color palette is pretty fun, particularly the photography they with this new Ear Candy line ~ there is also the new Prime line, which is the usual black, silver, bronzey palette as well... So for what's new and more pics ~ check out the next page!

Ok, don't laugh. This heat wave is unbearable. I just finished up the remains of the Talenti Roman Raspberry Sorbetto that was in my freezer... and now all i have is the awesome Talenti plastic container sitting in front of me wishing i had more. And wondering why i didn't photograph it for a post earlier, since i obviously bought it because it was so pretty... so none the less, here's a post about the deliciousness, which may have been partially influenced by the fact that i just wandered through their flavors and gallery and wondering which one i wish would magically appear in my fridge next. Why is it so hot?!?!?!?!?!

Bottom line? DELICIOUS. And i think i want to try the Hill Country Peach Champagne Sorbetto next... why isn't Whole Foods 24 hour? See more of the deliciousness in reusable screw cap plastic packaging on the next page! Yummmm...

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Not convinced how hot it is? Check out my video of a squirrel that ran up right next to me and was pancaking in the water on the next page too...

On emails that make me way too excited and even closer to pushing BUY on a flight to milan... Tord Boontje + Bisazza + Veuve Clicquot? If you're in milan this week, this sounds like one definitely to check out (and please send pics!!!)

So what is it? Digital Memories - "When I look at mosaic patterns, I am immediately reminded of a pixelated image, a digital image. We use digital images from cameras and video to capture moments of life, these become our memories. The collection of mosaic for Bisazza is based on the idea to use images that trigger memories when you look at them. A pattern of sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees can remind you of a nice summer day, a picnic in the park or daydreaming in the back of a car and watching the landscape going by. These patterns become personalized memories for each viewer, we all share these memories. I applied some of these patterns, Summer Trees, Dark Waters and Night Vision, to a coffee table and two sizes commode. The pieces have a large surface area for the mosaic to work optimally and an innovative sliding mechanism that opens the intricate volume inside."

Finding a nice laptop sleeve or bag has usually been no easy feat (granted, i'm extremely picky too!) ~ and there has certainly been a major trend towards designers making more and more gorgeous accessories as these devices have become core aspects of our everyday... but i must admit i'm a bit blown away to find Tumi, Mandarina Duck, Acme Made, Timbuk2, Built NY, Kenneth Cole, and more at DELL... and to have them have some really sweet exclusive Designed For Dell products just kind of floored me tonight. How long has this been going on? Why didn't anyone tell me? Is it bad i feel weird to have Dell becoming a possible go to for slick bags? And even worse, because of some of these bags i'm getting more and more tempted to indulge in a little necessary black netbook as a new toy? (Justification? Ummm... cross browser checking machine?)

I think its safe to safe that Dell has definitely embraced the "lifestyle" of mobile computing with all of this. And honestly, all these exclusive accessories are just making my late night shopaholic come out in full force wanting not only accessories, but perfectly sized laptops to stick in them as well. And as much as my hardware may say i love apple, Dell just earned major points in my book with these offerings. See my selection of the best of the Designed For Dell collection on the next page ~